The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 229

Winona let out a dry, utterly humorless laugh. She looked Tallulah up and down. "You really think everyone is as desperate as you, holding onto a cheating piece of trash like he's some kind of grand prize!"

"You—!"

Tallulah’s face flushed a furious, ugly red. She was practically vibrating with rage.

But then her eyes darted over Winona's shoulder, catching sight of Yulen approaching from the lobby. Instantly, the venom vanished from her face, replaced by a flawless mask of wide-eyed victimization.

"Tallulah, what's wrong?" Yulen asked as he walked up.

Tallulah bit her lip, looking up at him with teary eyes. "I was just trying to be nice. I told Winona she should be careful attending an event like this by herself, with all the creepy men around. But instead of just saying thank you, she started screaming at me."

Yulen shifted his gaze to Winona. When he took in her breathtaking, elegant gown, his frown deepened into a scowl.

Was she dressed like that to seduce some rich executive?

Had the horrifying incident with Lachlan taught her absolutely nothing?

Why couldn't she just stay safely at home where she belonged?

"Winona, Tallulah has a point," Yulen said, his tone thick with condescension. "A social mixer like this isn't a place for you. You shouldn't even be here. Aren't you worried about guys trying to take advantage of you?"

Winona stared at his self-righteous attitude, genuinely marveling at his audacity. A sharp, mocking laugh escaped her.

"Mr. Goddard personally invited me tonight. I highly doubt anyone in that room has a death wish strong enough to mess with his date."

The second the words left her lips, Yulen's expression darkened. A surge of irrational, possessive jealousy spiked in his chest.

He ground his teeth together. "You are completely out of line, Winona. You are my woman. What kind of message does it send for you to be parading around a high-profile event on the arm of another man?"

Winona scoffed, her eyes flashing with pure disdain. "What about you and Tallulah? You two parade yourselves around at public events all the time. Is that sending a good message?"

"That's strictly for work," Yulen fired back defensively.

"So is this."

"I am trying to protect you!" Yulen exploded, exasperated. "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn about everything?"

Then, a thought struck him. Maybe Winona was just doing all this to make him jealous. Maybe seeing him with Tallulah had pushed her over the edge, and she was acting out.

His expression softened slightly.

"Winona, did you already forget what Lachlan tried to do to you? If I hadn't hired that legal team and pushed to get him locked up, who do you think would have gotten justice for you?"

Winona stared at him, absolutely disgusted by his narcissism.

If Hayes hadn't already told her that Mr. Powell was the one who personally handed Lachlan over to the authorities, she might have actually believed his Savior routine.

Margaret’s eyes scanned the opulent room until they landed on Winona. She let out a disdainful scoff. "So that's Winona? I can't believe Stefan actually likes a woman like that."

Margaret had already ordered a background check on the girl. She knew Winona had been a kept woman for the last five years, and apparently, she was still entangled with her toxic ex...

Winona was nowhere near worthy of Stefan!

Ophelia sighed, playing the part of the weary confidante. "I've heard she is quite the charmer. She certainly has no shortage of men chasing after her."

"Charm? Please," Margaret sneered. "It's called cheap manipulation. I absolutely refuse to let Stefan throw his life away on a woman like that."

Seeing the sheer disgust etched into Margaret's face, Ophelia couldn't help but hide a triumphant little smirk.

As they moved further into the room, Margaret spotted Jericho.

"Mr. Harper is here," she murmured to Ophelia. "Come, let's go say hello."

Ophelia nodded eagerly.

They approached the legendary executive with polite, polished smiles.

Mr. Harper, who had a decent working relationship with Stefan, greeted Margaret and Ophelia with courteous but unmistakable distance. He wasn't overtly rude, but he certainly didn't roll out the red carpet.

Margaret knew that brilliant, eccentric minds like his rarely cared for high-society small talk. She kept the interaction brief and gracefully excused them before the silence could turn awkward.